


When In Rome

by Zavoj



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One-Shot, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-11
Updated: 2011-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zavoj/pseuds/Zavoj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hikaru is in America with his mother for a fashion show while Kaoru had to stay home in Japan, sick. Missing his twin and suffering from a bit of culture shock, Hikaru just wants to get through the first week of July as fast as possible.</p><p>Hikaru/Reader<br/>One-Shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When In Rome

**Author's Note:**

> Zavoj no own _Ouran High School Host Club_
> 
> This was originally supposed to be for Kaoru... but he wasn't cooperating, so... his brother stepped in to make it more IC. If you see me mixing up the twins... that's why... but please alert me so I can correct the slip.
> 
> I am not happy with this one at all to be honest. :/ I have spent so much time on this little guy and it's still not quite what I wanted. But I hope you enjoy nonetheless... and I'll stop insisting I'm not a reader-insert writer as I now have a good number of them posted. xD

The twins were elated when their mother announced that they would be going to the United States for two weeks with her for her fashion shows in New York City and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Kaoru came down with a bad case of pneumonia only days before departure. Hikaru was conflicted; he didn't want to leave his brother in such a bad condition, but he'd always been interested in going to America.

            "I'll be fine, Hikaru. Go and have fun for both of us," Kaoru told him when Hikaru broached the decision to stay in Japan with his brother.

            "But Kaoru..."

            Kaoru smiled at his twin weakly. "Have fun, and tell me all about it when you get back."

 

You couldn't believe your mother and sister. You were crushed, and yet you had to go support your sister as per mother-dearest's orders. Damn stuck-up woman and her spoiled model of an eldest daughter.

            Sitting on your bed, stewing, you couldn't be bothered to pack for the week long trip to LA. You heard someone call your name, and you looked up to find your sister entering the room.

            "Go away Lillian," you grumbled, clutching your cell phone tighter to your chest.

            "What's wrong?" Lillian asked, coming to stand at the foot of your bed.

            "I don't want to talk about it."

            Lillian sat down next to you. "You can tell me anything, Hun."

            You looked over at her perfect face. She wouldn't understand your pain. But maybe, _just maybe_ , it would get her to go away. "David broke up with me."

            "Oh honey! That's awful! You poor thing!! No wonder you don't want to pack for my fashion show!" Before you could object to what Lillian had said, she gave you a quick, one-armed hug and stood up. "Mom! David broke up with (Name)! That's why she won't pack!"

            You mother appeared in the doorway, hands on hips, jaw set in a thin line. "A week away will be good for you. Now pack or I'll pack for you."

            "Bite me," you growled, half-heartedly throwing your cell at her. She caught the device. Her face turned a very dark shade of red, with the distinct threat of purple, as she stalked into the room, threw open your suitcase, and began to dump clothing into it. You didn't care; nobody would know you at the fashion show, and there would be nobody who needed to be impressed.

 

Hikaru sat by the pool of the hotel in Los Angeles missing his brother. He and his mother had just arrived from New York at lunchtime. He had another lonely week ahead of him, and he'd already called Kaoru to see how the twin was doing; improved health, but not enough to come meet them.

            Models had been getting on his nerves all week; commoners acting like they owned the freaking world tended to rub him the wrong way. Thankfully, they had also driven his mother up the wall at the hotel and she'd decided not to spring for the model's hotel rooms in LA. So he had sweet silence because most models couldn't afford to stay at a hotel like that.

            It was getting late in the afternoon, but the pool was peaceful. He noticed a ' _No Children under 15_ ' sign posted on the gate. So that was the secret. He lay back and closed his eyes. A sigh left Hikaru's lips at the relative quiet; the constant chatter of English had been giving him a headache that was finally beginning to subside. He hadn't thought he'd ever want to talk to his mother so badly, if only to hear Japanese come out of her mouth. If he heard any more English come out of a teenage female model's mouth, he thought he would snap.

            The gate creaked and the latch quietly clicked back into place. Hikaru did his best to ignore the newcomer as a pool chair scraped quickly across the concrete. There was another moment of silence before he heard the disturbance in the surface of the water in the form of waves lapping against the side of the pool.

 

You were glad that the only other person at the pool was sleeping. He looked about the same age as you, and his ginger hair sparkled copper in the sunlight. However, as your assessment moved down his person you noticed that his pale skin looked about ready to burn. Nobody should be forced to experience the pain of turning into a lobster. You glanced over at an umbrella not too far away and cursed yourself for being a good, concerned person.

            Mentally sighing, you swam over to the edge of the pool and pushed yourself out. Your wet feet slapped the pavement as you grabbed the umbrella and heaved it over to shield the boy from the sun. He opened one olive eye to investigate the temperature change. You flushed in embarrassment at getting caught. "I-I'm sorry. You looked like you needed some shade," you mumbled.

            He closed his eye with a small smile. "Arigatou."

            It took a second to register he'd spoken Japanese, and another to register the thank you. You got back into the pool, pleased he hadn't told you off for being the busy body you sometimes were.

            The water was relaxing as it was nice and cool. Your only company was very quiet. It was perfect. Unfortunately, you would have to concede to your mother that a week away would, indeed, be good for you. You could feel all of your anger and pain floating away in the water and your shoulders release the tension they had been storing as you lay in the water, eyes closed.

            "OH EM GEE! (NAME)!" There was a splash as Lillian entered the pool, saturating the pavement with chlorinated water. All of the tension came back to your muscles as she splashed over to you. "Don't worry Hun, I'll save you!"

            Wet arms wrapped around your middle and pulled you under water. Gasping in surprise, you took on water and felt the burn all the way down. Instinctively you pushed away from your sister, catching her stomach with your foot, and came up gasping and thrashing. You coughed weakly as another set of arms grabbed you and pulled you to the edge of the pool and out of the water.

            You lay on the pavement, gasping for air and coughing up water. You watched Lillian rub her stomach and laugh hysterically in the pool.

            "Are you okay?"

            You looked up at the boy who had been relaxing quietly in the now shaded chair. He was sopping wet, dripping everywhere. "Do I look okay?" you gasped, your raw throat burning from the coughing fit.

            "No," he said bluntly.

            You laughed, causing your throat to throb more as you lay back on the ground again. "Sorry she disturbed you nap." You sighed and pointed at your sister in the pool.

            The olive eyes moved from you to your sister. He frowned, mumbled something you didn't understand, and turned back to you. "But you will live?"

            You nodded. "I'll live." You looked over at your sister, wiping strands of hair out of your eyes. "You're a real bitch Lillian!" you screamed at the girl in the water.

            "I'm a model Hun, expect it!" she called back with a laugh. Lillian sent water your way in a wave that splashed up your shins, which were still in the water.

            You groaned and looked up at the boy who'd pulled you out. "Thanks for saving me," you told him, "I needed the help."

            He smiled slightly and nodded. "Not a problem. I couldn't let you drown." His thin accent piqued your curiosity as he turned away to gather his things and leave.

            "Are you from Japan?" you asked, turning over so your stomach rested on the hot cement, elbows propping up your chin.

            He looked at you over his shoulder with those odd olive colored eyes, meeting you (color) ones. "Yes."

            "Vacation?" you pried, ignoring your sister who was now splashing around, attempting to swim laps.

            "You could say that." The boy picked up his stuff and walked to the gate.

            Lillian splashed you again. Done, you stood and collected your things. "Grow up Lillian!" you called as you jogged over to the gate.

 

The next day, your mother and sister dragged you to the model fitting session. The designer, some big name from Japan, had requested all new models from her show in LA, thus most had to be flown in from other areas, like your sister.

            You ignored the man who stood in front of the group of models and parents explaining how the process would work. Yawning, you stood, muttered "Bathroom," and crept to the exit.

            The heat of the hallway hit you with a hammer; your only relief was the small fan blowing in the doorway. It ruffled your hair and kept you just cool enough not to sweat as you decided on where you were going to go.

            The studio as a whole was very run down considering the caliber of designer and models. No air conditioning except in the room you'd just fled. Looking around, you caught sight of a ginger head of hair crossing the end of the hallway. Curious, and without any better plans, you decided to investigate. Maybe it was the guy from the pool; you hadn't really had a chance to thank him properly for pulling you out. You followed him to an office and felt the cool air flowing out the doorway. You leaned on the open doorframe, reveling in the breeze.

            He turned and caught sight of you in the doorway, a pile of papers in his arms. "Hai?"

            "Er... Hi?" you replied, mistaking the question for a greeting. You gave a small smile and wave.

            He gave you a somewhat put out look. "No. _Hai_. It means 'yes' in Japanese. Can I help you?"

            "Oh... um... I was just admiring the AC," you admitted shyly.

            "AC?"

            "Air conditioning. It's hot in the hallway."

            He nodded and went back to fussing with papers. You looked around at the messy office strewn with sketches, notebooks, magazines, and all number of various writing utensils. "Would you like some help?"

            The boy looked at the mess, then at you, and back at the mess. He shrugged. "Sure."

            "Just tell me where to put things."

            After a few minutes of silence, you glanced over at the boy. "I'm (Name) by the way."

            "Hikaru," he replied with a smile.

            "So... Japan, huh? Are you related to the designer?" you asked, putting pens back into a cup on the corner of the desk.

            "She is my mother."

            "So... how do you like the US so far, Hikaru?"

            He shrugged noncommittally and continued with the papers. You lapsed into silence as well, unsure what other questions to ask.

            "Hey! Models are supposed to be in the dressing rooms getting fitted!" a man with a clipboard and faint accent called to you from the doorway. He motioned for you to come with him. Ignoring the man, you continued to pick up pens and colored pencils. You wondered absently about how many writing utensils one person could have.

            "Hitachiin-san..." the man spoke before lapsing into a string of foreign words.

            Hikaru looked up at you curiously, "Are you one of mother's models?"

            "No."

            He turned back to the man and replied in Japanese. The man left and Hikaru looked at you again. "If you are not a model, what are you doing here?"

            "My sister, the girl that tried to drown me, is a model. I got to come along for the ride." You sighed as the last pen displaced a flyer that fluttered to the ground. Hikaru bent over and picked it up.

            "Fireworks?" he asked.

            Mentally counting days, you couldn't believe the timing of the model fitting. You nodded. "I can't believe it's the fourth already..."

            Hikaru regarded the flyer quietly for a moment before asking, "Is the fourth special?"

            "Yes! It's Independence Day!"

            "That's a big day, right?"

            You grinned. "Of course, it's America's birthday! Fireworks are an American tradition. You should go!"

            He cocked his head to one side, meeting your gaze with his. "Really?"

            "Yeah! You're in America; it would be wrong not to go." You took the flyer from him and read it. "Tell you what. I'll take you as a thank you for pulling me out of the pool." You grinned at him.

 

Hikaru was a tad bit surprised. He was so bored and here you were offering to take him to see some fireworks. A night away from the hotel would be nice, and his mother would be busy with designs basically all night. You weren't a model, either, so there was little chance you were trying to garner favor with the designer's son. Putting on his best host club smile, he replied, "I would love to."

 

The change in Hikaru's demeanor from friendly to charming caught you off guard. "Hotel lobby at six?" he asked.

            All you could do was smile and nod.

            "See you there," he said, turning and exiting. You looked down to see that the desk was clean. Awkwardly, you left in search of your mother and sister.

 

You made the mistake of letting your sister know you were going to the beach.

            "Is it with a boy?!" she squealed. "The cute one from the pool?" her (color) eyes sparkled with excitement.

            Shrugging, you walked over to your suitcase, intent on picking out something to wear.

            "Over Daniel so fast?"

            "David," you auto-corrected her while selecting a shirt.

            "No. No. Not that thing!" Lillian grabbed the shirt in your hands.

            "Let go," you growled, tugging on the shirt.

            The rip that resounded through the hotel room caught your mother's attention when the arguing had not. Screaming girls were nothing to worry about, but ripped clothing? Oh there could be hell to pay.

            "Damn it Lillian!" you screeched, lunging at your sister, intent on doing damage.

            "Girls!" a strong pair of arms hauled you off your sister before you could land anything substantial. "What is going on back here?"

            "(Name) won't let me dress her!" Lillian sniffled from the floor, using your ripped shirt as a handkerchief.

            "And Lillian is being a pain in the ass! She ruined my shirt!" You pointed at the rag in Lillian's hands.

            "Lillian, Apologize. (Name), now that your shirt is ruined, you have no reason not to let Lillian dress you."

 

Damn your mother and her automatic siding with Lillian. You hunched in a corner of the lobby, arms crossed to conceal some of the cleavage the dress failed to cover. The darn thing made your boobs look bigger, and not in a good way.

            Hikaru exited the elevator in designer shorts and tank top, looking for all the world like he should be walking a runway. Of course, that was to be expected from a designer's son.

            "Ready to go?" he asked when he spotted you.

            You nodded. "Do you want to take mine or yours?" you asked as you moved towards the exit.

            "Excuse me?"

            "Your car or mine?" you asked again.

            "Ah. I assumed we would take mine."

            You shrugged, "Okay."

            Once in the limo, you gave the driver the flyer, relieved that you hadn't needed to figure out how to get to the beach.

            "So... Hikaru..." You looked over at him, unsure what exactly to ask to begin conversation.

            "Yes?"

            The only question that came to your mind was conjured by your dress. "Do you have any siblings?"

            He nodded. "My twin brother, Kaoru." A look of concern crossed his face.

            "Is he okay?" you asked.

            "He had to stay home in Japan because he is very sick," Hikaru told you.

            "You're worried about him," you stated, watching the strong emotions playing across his face. "How long has he been sick?"

            "Two weeks."

            "And how long have you been in the US?"

            "A week. We have never been apart this long."

            Uncertain whether to console Hikaru or not, you changed the subject after a respectable pause. "Your English is really good? Where did you learn it?"

            He puzzled over this question before responding. "At school. Where else would I learn it?"

            You shrugged, "I dunno. They don't really offer foreign languages at my school. Only Spanish because of Mexico."

            "Interesting."

            "Not really," you laughed. "Are you in any clubs? Play basketball or soccer?"

            Hikaru shook his head. "Only the..." He frowned slightly as he tried to come up with the word. After a couple seconds with no luck, he pulled out his phone and began typing on it. You'd assumed he was basically fluent; so he wasn't the best with contractions, that'd come with time. The translator caught you off guard as he murmured the words to himself before looking back up at you. "I'm sorry for the pause. I'm part of the host club."

            "The what?" You'd never heard the term in your life. Maybe he'd pronounced it wrong?

            He flashed the screen at you. It did indeed read _'Host Club'_.

            "Okay... what is a host club?" you asked.

            "Girls come to be entertained by a man of their choosing. Kaoru and I do it together." Hikaru smiled at his reflection in the dark glass.

            "So... you flirt with girls... as a hobby?" The boy was a bit awkward in your opinion. You supposed it could be the language barrier or homesickness or worry that accounted for his mood, but part of you felt that was unlikely.

            More typing on the keyboard. After a moment he smiled and shrugged. "'Flirt' is not quite right, but it is adequate."

            You couldn't help but laugh. What an odd hobby.

            "What's so funny?"

            "You don't seem like the flirting type. That's all." You giggled again.

            "I don't?" He was suddenly in your face, gorgeous smile adorning his own. His eyes met yours from under half closed lids as he brought a hand up to caress your cheek lightly. He was so close you couldn't focus on anything else. "Am I the flirting type now, (Name)?"

            You nodded and he sat back, smiling victoriously. It was his turn to laugh at your flustered state.

            "Don't do that again!" you protested after collecting your bearings.

 

Once at the beach, the task became finding a spot to sit and watch the fireworks. The large beach towel in your bag was spread on an open patch of sand to mark your temporary territory. You slipped off the sandals you were wearing and wiggled your toes in the sand, reveling in the softness.

            "Now what?" Hikaru asked impatiently, watching you.

            You glanced around at the sundry gathering of people. "We wait for the sun to set."

            "Explain the significance of fireworks to me."

            You shrugged. "I've never really thought about it, but I suppose it's to remind people of the bombs and stuff from the revolutionary war." You scanned the beach and spotted a beverage stand. "I'm gonna go get us something to drink, okay? Man the blanket while I'm gone."

 

When you got back, two fresh squeezed lemonades in hand, Hikaru was having an agitated conversation with two women well into their twenties.

            "Come on cutie~! We'll show you a good time in any language."

            Hikaru said something in Japanese, playing a dumb tourist. He spotted you and motioned. "(Name)-chan." He looked at the women, and allowing a heavy accent to cover his English, he muttered, "Girlfriend." You came when he beckoned and sat down next to him. He took a lemonade from you and draped his other arm across your shoulders, ignoring the two women. He chattered animatedly in Japanese until the women became bored and left.

            He leaned into you after they'd gone, supporting his weight. He ran a hand through is ginger hair in an exhausted manner. "Thank you. Those women were very annoying."

            You shrugged. "Not a problem. What were you saying, anyway?"

            Hikaru looked up at the sky. "I was talking about Kaoru."

            "You really miss him, don't you?"

            Hikaru looked down and away, giving a small nod.

            "At least you only have a week left until you go home, right?"

            His olive eyes moved over to meet yours and he smiled. His answer was drowned out by the whistling of the first of the fireworks. With a crack, streaks of green separated and ran across the black sky in different directions.

            Both of you looked up at the sky. Taking his weight off of your shoulder, but not removing his arm, he fell back against the towel, dragging you with him. Your head landed lightly on his chest as a red explosion colored the sky.

            Glancing up from your position on his chest, you caught him smiling down at you in the light of a golden star pattern.

            "I needed to get out of the hotel," Hikaru told you.

            You scooted up the towel so you were laying orthogonal to him, head still on his chest. You picked up his hand to move it out of the way, but didn't set it down. "So did I."

            He squeezed your hand as a set of green and pink fireworks illuminated the sky and the dark, calm ocean below.


End file.
